There are books that grip you instantly, and then there are books like Stolen Focus. Initially, I abandoned it. Too long, too heavy, too much digital doomscrolling criticism as research. But then I gave it a second chance—and I’m glad I did. It might just be one of the most compelling explorations of how we’ve lost our ability to focus—and what it will take to rebuild an attentive society.

Why Have We Lost Our Ability to Focus?

Johann Hari, the journalist behind the book, asks the big questions:

• Why have we lost our ability to focus?
• What caused this collective attention deficit?
• And—crucially—can we get it back to create an attentive society?

Spoiler: Hari doesn’t believe the blame lies solely with us. Stolen Focus is not a self-help manual offering quick-fix productivity hacks. Instead, Hari argues that distraction is hardwired into the modern world—and Big Tech is cashing in on it.

Attention as a Commodity

Through interviews with former Google strategists, behavioural scientists, and tech insiders, Hari reveals a startling truth: our attention is a currency, traded for profit. Social media platforms are designed to keep us scrolling, swiping, and refreshing—because the longer we stay, the more ad revenue they collect.

Worse still, the system doesn’t just compete for our attention—it sometimes manipulates it. But how can we stop this addiction?

Hari argues that asking individuals to simply “use willpower” is like asking people to avoid lead paint before it was banned. Once society recognised its dangers, legislation followed. He suggests the same approach for our digital environment—systemic solutions, not just self-discipline.

Imagine a world where all your notifications are bundled into one daily digest rather than arriving in constant bursts. A small tweak, but a radical step towards an attentive society.

Of course, rolling back technology isn’t realistic. We can’t—and shouldn’t—erase the positive impact of instant communication, entertainment, or grassroots movements. But living in a constant state of distraction isn’t sustainable either.

Why Novels Are a Workout for Your Brain

One of Hari’s most fascinating points is about reading—not just what we read, but how. Studies show that reading from a printed page allows us to retain and process information more deeply than reading on a screen or listening to a podcast.

Hari meets psychology professor Raymond Mar in Toronto, who explains that novels do something magical: they allow us to inhabit someone else’s mind. Reading fiction trains us in empathy—arguably the cornerstone of an attentive society.

As Hari writes, “Empathy makes progress possible, and every time human empathy expands, the universe opens up a little more.”

If you’ve liked this article you can also enjoy reading more about Flow and Deep Work or Digital Minimalism (Italian).